The BFF
by Glinda2125
Summary: A new girl has shown up in the UES, and she's already got a huge advantage. Set after the first season. Please read and review!
1. The First Sighting

**Author's note: Hey, everybody! I own nothing, unfortunately. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

_[ Welcome back, Upper Eastsiders! Was your summer as awesome as mine? I know you missed me… Apparently there's no drama without me! Sure, some rumors about K and I being a secret lesbian couple, but we all know that's not true – if they were, they wouldn't be keeping something that juicy to themselves. So, don't be shy, tell me what you did… or who. I know you all love the limelight. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl ]_

* * *

The bar of the Palace hotel was always full by 9; the day before schools started again was no exception. Still, it took several minutes before the gorgeous girl sipping her vodka cranberry got approached, despite her long legs barely covered by her dark green mini-dress, her fiery red curls that fell halfway down her back, and her large green eyes that matched perfectly with her dress.

She'd assumed the men in a hotel bar would all be older men trying to pick up a girl to cheat on their older wives with, so she was all ready with a snappy retort for the man who placed his hand lightly on the small of her back and whispered in a sinfully sexy bedroom voice, "This has to be your first time here, because I would have remembered such gorgeous hair."

So when she turned around and saw a teenaged… well, you couldn't call him a boy, with the masculinity that oozed from his every pore… she had had a hard time keeping the smirk on her face. She did, though, and replied easily, "As a matter of fact, it is."

She watched his eyes slowly and blatantly trail down her body, and resisted the urge to snap at him. She'd finally placed that self-confident smirk and striking face and she wanted to mess with him a little before she explained who she was.

She waited patiently for him to finish being perverted and actually talk to her. She predicted he'd make some cheesy line that only a Bass could pull off. Sure enough – "Well, can I show you our famed hospitality, get you a room perhaps? I do have some sway here." She smiled to herself, and said nonchalantly, "Oh, right, your father owns this hotel, doesn't he, Chuck?"

She smirked at the bewilderment that flashed across his face before he could compose himself and say, "Oh, so you've heard of me?" He leaned in a little and half-whispered, "Doesn't seem fair, you know who I am, and I don't even know your name."

She reached for the hand he'd placed on her thigh and pushed it away from her, then grabbed it again to shake it. "I'm Miranda Dunkirk. And, yes, Charles Bass, I do know quite a lot about you."

She swallowed the last of her drink and stood up, grabbing her purse and turning to face Chuck, who looked intrigued. He stepped forward, blocking her way to the door. "Let me guess. You read Gossip Girl?" She threw her head back and laughed. "No, no, no, Chuck. I know so much more than that." She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Gossip Girl is my best friend."

* * *

_[ Since when do I have to find all my info myself? Am I the only one who's on top of the juiciest news we've had since the two break-ups this summer? Don't worry, I'm not really mad, just a little disappointed. I'll let you all in on the secret tomorrow, when I have more time to dish. _

_Right now, I'm too busy planning my outfit and memorizing my schedule. I'll give you a little preview though – Check out the pic! Who's the fiery redhead whispering in C's ear? You know he's not paying her, otherwise it wouldn't even be news… Stay tuned for my biggest scoop since S & D's break-up! You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_


	2. The Tease

_[I took a break from my pre-school spa treatment to respond to the thousands of texts I've gotten. Ok, UES, I'll throw you a bone. Another little birdie sent me this pic of the two getting into C's limo. I wasn't expecting a hook-up to report too! Well, this girl, who we'll call M, isn't gonna give in to C that easily… I'll make sure to take him off my forwarding list for this one: it's not every day you get to take a Bass by surprise. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

* * *

Miranda was impressed with herself – she'd managed to find the one thing that Chuck was interested in besides sex – Gossip Girl.

"Wait, so you actually know Gossip Girl? As in, you've talked to her? In person? She is a girl, right?" She laughed at his eagerness – they'd just stepped inside the limo! "Yes, Chuck, I talk to her all the time, and, yes, she's been telling the truth, she is a girl." He leaned towards her, excitement in his eyes. "So, who is she? What's she like?"

Miranda just rolled her eyes, "Yea, Chuck, I'm just gonna tell you my most important secret just because you asked me." Chuck reached into his jacket pocket, "I'll pay you. Whatever you want." She just laughed at him again, which was infuriating to Chuck – people don't laugh at a Bass very often.

She reached a hand towards him and pushed his check book back into his jacket, "Honey, you couldn't pay me enough, even if you are Chuck Bass. Besides, I don't need it." He drawled, "Don't be stupid, everyone needs money. Even those of us with deep saving accounts."

She matched his smug smile, "Maybe you do. But I don't. Sorry to burst your bubble, Chuck, but you're not the richest person in the UES anymore." He stared at her, confused, waiting for her to continue.

"Not only am I a Dunkirk, one of the oldest families of Scottish nobility, my father is also one of the most successful silent partners in the movie business. He's invested in almost every major blockbuster in the past decade. In fact, he just informed me that his firm has been doing so well that all the money he made from Iron Man has been transferred to my account."

Chuck's eyes widened a little, "So why don't you have a cute Scottish accent?" "Because I've been living in LA since I was 6." "Then what are you doing here?" He leaned a little closer and put his hand on her knee, "Not that I'm not happy to have you here…"

She leaned into him, moving her lips just past his to his ear, "Well, you see…" She felt his hand slide slowly up from her knee to her thigh and she quickly pulled back and pushed his hand away, "Oh, the driver's made it once around the block, I need to get out here."

She tapped on the glass and opened her door before Chuck could recover from her sudden rejection. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, "Wait, wait, you don't have to leave yet, what were you going to tell me?"

She snatched her hand away, but patted his cheek condescendingly, "Sorry, Charles. I guess you'll just have to wait for Gigi to text you the deets." He looked confused and she laughed again. Chuck would have been extremely pissed off if she wasn't so dang intriguing… and sexy. "Gossip Girl? GG? Gigi? Try to keep up, Chuck."

She smirked at his exasperated expression. "See ya tomorrow, Chuck. Can't wait to have you hit on my again," she said with her most sarcastic smile, and slammed the door in his face.

* * *

_[ Sorry to get your hopes up, but I'm not letting you in on the secret just yet. But I couldn't help but share this juicy pic with you all. Sure, M was only in the limo for a few minutes, but look how high her dress is pushed up… Knowing M, though, it's not likely Chuck got a quickie… did the Bass just get rejected? You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl ]_


	3. Trouble Brewing

_[ Rise and shine, Upper East Siders! I'm about to make getting up this early bearable… Let's start this school year out with a bang, shall we? You want to know who this mysterious M is? Well, her name is Miranda Dunkirk, and if that name doesn't make you think Macbeth, you obviously aren't going to pass AP English. __M is, in fact, Scottish. A Scottish noble even, although you'd never know it. She's from sunny LA, and is rolling in all the cash from her movie producer daddy. _

_Even better? She moved here because her family just found out whatever happened to a certain black sheep daughter who got disowned a while ago. The daughter's all grown-up now, with kids of her own. The Dunkirks aren't ready to forgive their wayward daughter, but M was granted permission to play fairy godmother to the two kids… I'll let you know when they know, but I'm sure you'll have fun guessing who the Cinderellas are. _

_Oh, and the biggest news? M is my BFF. So play nice, UES. You break her heart, or any other part of her, and I won't break your face, I'll break __you__. You wouldn't want me to dig up every single one of your dirty secrets, would you? _

_Okay, M, I've given you your intro. Now you go out and make some news for me. Good luck on your first day! You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl ]_

Jenny Humphrey was lying on her bed, staring bug-eyed at her laptop with her mouth hanging open. Was it possible? She ran through all the people Gossip Girl talked about again. There were only two other pairs of siblings, and only her and Dan had any sort of need for a "fairy godmother." She couldn't believe it… could her mom really have kept this from her? She'd always said that her parents had died in a car crash and she was an only child.

She almost yelled for Dan to come look at the post, but she knew he'd either make some moody comment about how it must be someone else or he'd say how he didn't want to be rich… so she decided not to, and just grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

* * *

Miranda checked her phone and smiled. She was walking to school today, having passed up a dramatic entrance by riding in her limo, so she could hear all the whispers she knew there would be on the way to Constance. She'd decided to take a leaf from Serena's book, and was wearing her school skirt rolled up short and her white shirt a bit unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up loosely, with some sexy bed head going on. She wasn't unfashionably late, like Serena was that first day, instead getting up early to sit in the courtyard and wait for the crowd.

She texted Gigi, thanking her for the intro and support, and betting her that Blair would be the first to come up to her, pretending to be a welcoming committee. Gigi laughed and said either her or little J, sucking up.

Miranda laughed aloud, and texted Gigi to be nice, J was sweet. As she sent the text, she looked up and saw Blair and her entourage (Kati, Isabel, and Hazel) walking towards her. Miranda quickly texted Gigi – "Here comes Queen B – I'm gonna make her wait until I finish this, she's gonna be so – "

"Hi, Miranda, right? I'm - " "One sec, Blair, gotta finish this text." Miranda snuck a peek at Blair's outraged face and quickly finished her text, " – pissed. I bet this'll push her towards 'destruction' instead of 'recruitment'… or maybe not, after your threat this morning."

She flipped her phone shut, and looked up at Blair, but stayed sitting on the bench. "Yes, Blair, did you want something?" She said it so sickly sweet that Blair had to respond in kind or seem like a bitch. She smiled large and said with fake enthusiasm, "Just wanted to welcome you to Constance. And New York, for that matter."

Blair paused, internally debating whether she should "make nice" and invite the new girl to join them. She quickly decided that she couldn't afford not to make an effort to bond with this already-powerful new girl. "The girls and I are going for drinks at the Palace after school today, if you wanted to join us?"

Miranda made an exaggerated grimace, "Oh, I'm sorry, B, but I was just there last night." She caught Blair's minions raising their eyebrows at each other over her refusal and casualness. Blair chose to act like nothing was up. "Maybe some other time," she said with that fake bright smile.

Miranda matched her smile, "Sure, B." She nonchalantly reached for her phone and started texting with Gigi again. Blair was seething, but she managed to keep her calm mask on and turned around and headed with her followers whispering behind her to another bench.

_[ Quiet Confrontation in the courtyard! Look at this pic – B putting on a happy face as M keeps her waiting to finish her text. Apparently she turned down an invitation too… Did you expect gratitude, B? M doesn't need you to like her; she's get friends in even higher places than Queen – namely, me! You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl ]_


	4. The Strategy

_[Hey UES! I know I've been updating like crazy this morning, but I promise this is my last text before school starts. Come one, come all, to check the fresh meat! There are only so many girls at Constance, and I'm sure C's gotten bored… N's single again too, maybe the newbie will catch his eye? Or maybe we'll get surprised and I'll get to talk about a new letter! You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl ]_

Chuck laughed at the lasted Gossip Girl text. He still had his player reputation, although he hadn't been living up to it as much lately.

After ditching Blair at the beginning of the summer, he felt awful. He'd felt so much better when she'd forgiven him, but he'd understood when she'd said she couldn't trust him anymore. The summer apart had been enough to make those butterflies go away, although it'd been hard. The scotch had helped, the dancers at Victrola had helped, but he doubted he'd really be back to his normal self if Nate hadn't forgiven him and been there for him even when he was being stupid and self-pitying for immaturely giving up Blair.

Now Chuck was not a new man, he was the old Chuck Bass, with some minor "improvements." Like, he wasn't quite as against being in a relationship… as long as it involved a lot of… fun.

And, just like always, Chuck Bass could not resist a hot, sexy, rich new girl who had an attitude. And, though easy would have been nicer, flirtatiously hard-to-get was a close second. If Chuck had learned anything from his relationship with Blair, it was that he loved the chase – assuming there was a reward in the end.

So, he got off his butt and started heading across the courtyard to Miranda – and was intercepted by Nate, looking fresh-faced and cute as ever. (Chuck didn't notice, but every girl within a hundred feet did.)

"Hey, man, so, who's this Miranda? Gossip Girl said you guys… uh… talked," Nate finished lamely. "Unfortunately, it was just talk… although I'm hoping to fix that." He paused, looking over Nate's shoulder at Miranda and licking his lips.

Nate turned to follow his gaze and then laughed at Chuck. "Anyways, I really don't know any more than what I read on Gossip Girl, she wouldn't tell me anything." "Huh," Nate said distractedly. He was still watching Miranda: she had crossed her long slender legs, laughing loudly and musically at the text she'd gotten, and tossed her long silky red curls around… Yea, Nate was trying hard not to start drooling… Was it just coincidence Miranda dressed up like Serena on her first day?

* * *

"Gigi, you are so bad! Your plan is totally working, it's hilarious!" "I told you, M, remind N of S and he's putty in your hand, especially if you're not as much of a bad girl. And C likes any girl who shows a little skin, is feisty, and can hold her own in a match of wits… anyone else catch your eye?"

That's when Miranda laughed, and shook her hair out of her eyes. "No, Gigi, lol… I'm too busy deciding which of the two I like better, and whether I want to push that Queen B off her throne… you have my back either way?" "Of course, M! Although you know I'm rooting for your claws to come out. If you're looking for a king, N is your best bet. C would be fun, but really unpredictable."

"I know, Gigi. You made me read your whole archive, remember? At the moment, though, I'm just gonna exude hotness and see who comes running, lol." "So, your usual? Lol. You should drop by later and steal my new scarlet Fendis for whatever you do tonight. I guarantee if you wear those and that strapless red Eleanor original, you'll not only piss Blair off to no end, but you'll have both of them all over you."

Miranda giggled again, picturing Blair's face. "How about one better? That outfit and I go to the Palace bar after school… with one of the guys! Oh, she'd just want to kill me! Lol." "Once again, I am reminded of why you're my BFF – DO IT! I'll be happy cuz of the drama, you'll be happy cuz one of those guys will be all over you, and you'll get to see B's horrified face, and whichever guy you choose will be happy to get to hang with you! It's a win-win-win!"

"Sounds like a plan… aren't you glad I'm here? As if you didn't have enough drama already, lol. Whoops, there's the bell! Text you soon. Love ya." "Okay, dear, have fun! XOXO."

She flipped her phone shut and hurried to her first class, which, by Gigi's research, was shared only with Serena. This should be interesting…

_[ The bell's rung, school's officially started! This is shaping up to be a great year – even just the first fifteen minutes in the courtyard were interesting! Now if we can just survive the actual classes… You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl ]_


	5. Bonding

_[Constance Billard is known for its alumni's nearly-perfect track record of getting accepted into at least one of the Ivies. But not all of the girls are on the migraine-inducing AP track. S is one of those "slackers" and so is M. Maybe they'll bond over their "easier" classes (like any classes are easy at that school!) But not too much – her BFF spot is taken. __ You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl]_

Miranda was rushing to her first class, US History. She'd just made it to the door when another hand reached for the handle at the same time.

Serena pulled her hand away and smiled an apology. Miranda smiled genuinely back and quickly opened the door and hurried to the closest empty seat; Serena sat beside her. They had just caught their breath when the bell rang and the teacher started class. Maybe it wasn't an AP course, but the teacher still lectured on the first day.

He did, however let them talk for the last ten minutes or so, since it was the first day. There wasn't anyone from Blair's entourage in the class, so Serena, in all her friendliness, turned to Miranda, "So, you're not on the AP track either?"

Miranda smiled, closed her notebook she'd been doodling in, and faced Serena, "Nope. I don't see the point in working that hard since I'm not going to college." Serena's eyebrows flew up, "You're not? And your parents are ok with that?"

Miranda nodded, "Yea, I've already gotten some acting jobs through my dad, and I love that; but I really love modeling. I've got some contacts here in New York that I'm hoping will get me some work here on the East Coast… didn't I hear you've done some modeling? Oh, wait, you ended up just taking the clothes from the Waldorf shoot, right?"

The two girls giggled together. "Yea, that was fun, but I think Blair would be annoyed with me if I did any more." Miranda raised one eyebrow, "Really? Why? 'Cause she wouldn't have the spotlight 24/7 then? That's just ridiculous. If you love it, you should be able to do it. Just don't brag about it or whatever."

Serena bit her lip, "I guess… I just don't want to start anymore drama with her." "Well, you shouldn't be kept from doing what you love! Tell you what, whenever I get my first job here, I'll bring you along. You can blame me if Blair gets mad, and I'm pretty sure any photographer would LOVE to take pictures of both of us."

Serena smiled wider, "Sounds like a plan." The bell rang and the girls missed the snap of a phone camera capturing them smiling at each other.

_[Did I call it or what?! Look at those two, smiling their heads off and bonding. How cute! Apparently they were chatting about modeling or something… but who cares! The really interesting part is how B will react… although, really, what does she have to be mad about? Isn't S allowed to have other friends? Unless M is making a move on B's throne… You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.]_

**Author's note: Sorry this took so long! I actually have, like, ten more chapters written, I just couldn't find this one for the life of me, and it was kinda important to the plot!! Turns out, it was in a notebook I'd left at my boyfriend's house… and we've been broken up for almost three months now! Lol, a little creepy, no? Hopefully he didn't read all of the stuff written in there! Lol, More chapters up soon, reviews/faves would help me get the motivation to type up all those chapters. Thanks peeps! **


	6. Lunchtime Confrontation

****

Author's note: I know I haven't been putting these in, but the formatting's too much of a hassle, but, as I'm sure you know, I own nothing! Plus, sorry for the hiatus, I still have a ton written, but I stopped typing them up and posting them… I'm gonna try to get back on the wagon, but bear with me please. Reviews would help me a lot!

_[Halfway through the day , everybody! Now, the big question – where will you sit? Sure, little J has given up her claim on one of the steps. But will M take up the challenge? I'm hoping for an even better catfight than B and S last year… You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl ]_

Miranda breathed a sigh of relief as she walked out of her last class before lunch. She pulled out her phone and texted Gigi, "I swear, school is the worst form of torture! So, your input on my lunch?" "You know you want to sit on the steps… oh, you should find little J and bring her with you!" "By ourselves? Why don't I just sit with Blair like I'm one of them?"

"M, she'll take it as a sign you respect her authority! And I'm sure you can have fun just talking with little J. You could even let her in on the secret!" "No, I want to tell them all at once… Ok, Gigi, I give in. Where is J normally?"

"Well, she won't be where she was last year… oh, I just got sent a pic of her, she's in the courtyard with Eric. How cute!" "Maybe I'll bring him with us…" "Sounds like a plan. Better get to it! Text me how it goes, ttys, dear. XOXO." Miranda flipped her phone shut and hurried off to the courtyard.

* * *

Jenny and Eric were happily chatting at a table by themselves. Surprising, considering Jenny used to soak up the attention she got from her huge crowd of girls. In fact, that was the topic of their conversation.

"You know, Jenny, I'm proud of you. This summer, focusing on your designing, has really mellowed you out. You seem so much more confident in yourself." Jenny lit up at the praise, "Thanks, E. That means a lot. And, yea, it's nice to have something to be proud of."

Eric was opening her mouth to respond when a shadow fell over the table and the two quickly turned their heads towards Miranda, who had just walked over. " Hi! Little J, right?" Jenny smiled awkwardly, "Yea, but I prefer Jenny. Miranda, right?"

Miranda smiled, "Cool, you still read Gossip Girl. And you're Eric. Nice to meet you." "You too…" Eric paused, looking adorably confused, "But, uh, what's going on here?"

Jenny playfully hit Eric's arm, "Is your phone dead or something? Sheesh, Eric, you need to check Gossip Girl more often, don't you recognize her?" "Yea, Jen, I do… just wondering why she's talking to us," he whispered.

Miranda laughed, "I don't look down on sophomores, and I was actually looking for you two. I was wondering if you wanted to come eat lunch with me on the steps?" Jenny lit up, "Oh, Blair wants me to join you guys?"

Miranda's smile turned a little evil, "Who said anything about Blair?"

* * *

It had been easy to convince Jenny to come along – of course she'd want an in with Miranda, if she was gonna challenge Blair. Eric had gotten dragged along, a little wary to make Blair mad, but wanting to hang out with the two girls anyways.

As they walked to the steps, Miranda turned to Eric, "Oh, E, Gigi wanted me to check with you about some deets." Eric gave her a confused look, until the light bulb went off and he laughed nervously, "Oh, right, Gossip Girl…"

Miranda giggled, "Yea, she heard that you recently had an… interesting… night at Victrola." Jenny snapped her head to Eric, raising her eyebrows and smirking, "Why didn't you tell me about this?" Eric grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, Jen, I was trying to find the right time…," he turned to Miranda, "And, yea, I did… Chuck set up a private show and… uhm…"

Eric was blushing furiously and Jenny gasped as she realized what he wasn't able to say, "Omigod, Eric, are you bi?" Eric nodded. Miranda smiled, "That's cool, E… so would you be okay if Gigi posts it? Cuz I could maybe convince her to hold it back, but if you don't mind…"

Eric shook his head, "Oh, no, it's fine, Miranda, I wouldn't fight her over this. I don't care if everyone knows." "Ok, good, I'll let her know, and you'll be front page in a bit."

Just then, they reached the steps and saw Blair and her posse eating their yogurt. Blair glanced up and saw them. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously, but quickly turned back to her girls and continued their conversation. Better not to make a scene until she needed to.

Miranda turned to Jenny, "You ready to do this?" Jenny just nodded, a huge smile lighting her face. Miranda smiled back, "Ok, let's go." She linked her arm with Eric's, and Jenny grabbed the other one. The three calmly walked about six feet from Blair, and two steps up, and sat down.

Miranda immediately started up the conversation again, reaching over Eric to touch Jenny's knee to get her attention, "Oh, J, you should totally make some dressed for me! I'll pay you whatever you want, but I love the designs of yours I've seen." Jenny's voice jumped an octave, like it always does when she's excited, "Really? That'd be great, M! Eleanor's told me that she'd use my designs and give me credit if I could get some buzz! This'd be perfect! Really, you wouldn't even need to pay me, you'd be helping me out!"

Miranda smiled, "Well, I'm happy to help, but I insist on at least paying for the materials… and I'm always looking for fun new clothes."

She opened the container she'd brought with her, and Jenny looked confused, "Wait, why do you bring your lunch?" Miranda looked confused, then laughed, "Oh, right, I forgot people don't normally do that here. Well, I always have our cook make my lunch, so I don't have to worry about not liking the school lunch."

Jenny nodded and mumbled under her breath, "Well that's not why I bring it." Eric heard her and patted her arm, but Miranda just raises her eyebrows almost angrily, "Jenny, there's no reason to be ashamed of where you come from, despite what Blair may say. You have more talent than any of those girls, and just because you don't have a trust fund to fall back on doesn't mean you aren't as good as them."

Jenny stared wide-eyed and Eric smiled, "You are so not what I expected, Miranda."

She just smiled, and then poked Eric with her elbow, and pointed at the girls walking towards them, "I think we're about to have company."

They looked up and saw Blair leading her followers to them. Miranda quickly made a decision, "Hey, why don't we just leave? I don't want to have a confrontation… yet." Jenny looked surprised, but stood up anyways and grabbed Eric's hand to help him up.

"Ok, let's go… no running, though!" Miranda said, and laughed loudly again. Jenny and Eric laughed with her, and they turned and walked away.

Blair stopped halfway to them, deciding whether to take this as a victory or an insult. She chose the first, so her groupies wouldn't get nervous. "There, you see? She's got Gossip Girl on her side and she's still afraid of me. There's nothing to worry about."

_[Oooh, a little bit of confrontation. B played it off nicely, but is it really a victory or is M just choosing her battles? You decide, I'll keep you posted. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl]_


	7. The Preparation

**Author's note: Aren't you proud of me? Two chapters in one day! Reviews would rock! Again, I own nothing, otherwise the second season would have been completely different and Chuck and Blair would have happened waaayy sooner.**

_[ Phew! There's the bell, thank God! So, what's gonna happened after school? Better make some plans fast, cuz you know no one as homework yet… You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

Miranda opened the door from her last class and walked as fast as she could towards the courtyard. She whipped out her phone and texted Gigi, "Omigod! I hate school so much!" She had just pressed send when she accidently ran into a boy who'd just walked into the school from the courtyard.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" She quickly slid her phone into her jeans pocket and looked up to see one of the cutest smiles ever. "It's totally fine, I wasn't paying attention either," his smile got a little wider as he registered who she was, "Miranda, right?"

She smiled – what could she say, she was a sucker for adorable, sweet guys. "Yea… I feel bad, I should have been watching, let me make it up to you?" Even Nate, who was more than a little clueless, could tell this was a lame excuse, but she could get away with it. "It's really not a big deal, but if you want, sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I was at the Palace last night, but I was by myself the whole time, so… let me buy you a drink?" "Sure, when should I get there?" "Whenever you want. I'm staying in the penthouse suite next to Chuck, so just come on up and get me. I should be there from six on."

"Wait, you're living next to Chuck?!" Miranda grimaced, "Yea, but don't tell him that, I don't want him getting all creepy on me." Nate just laughed, "Ok. How about I come up at six?"

Miranda smiled, "Sure. Well, I gotta go. See ya tonight." She waved and flounced out of the school with a goofy grin on her face. He was smiling too – what guy doesn't like getting asked out by a hot girl?

* * *

"Omg, Gigi, he's soooo cute," Miranda gushed.

She had come over to Gigi's place ten minutes ago and was re-doing her makeup. She'd already grabbed Gigi's Fendis and had on her red Eleanor original. The dress was strapless, tight on the waist but full-skirted, with the hem line just below her knee.

Gigi was laying on her bed, sorting through all her tips she'd had texted to her. "You're so cute, M. You're all fierce and sexy, and then a cute guy smiles at you and you melt." Miranda rolled her eyes, but she was still grinning, "Well, yeah, doesn't N have a reputation for doing that?"

Gigi nodded, "Yea, kinda… ooh, M, someone snapped a cute pic of N and you grinning like goofs." "Oh, let me see!" Miranda jumped onto the bed next to Gigi and grabbed the phone. She squealed when she saw the first picture, "Omg! We already look like a cute couple! You have to post that one!" Gigi smiled, "I was just thinking that."

She glanced at the clock, "And you need to head back to the Palace if you're gonna be ready for Nate to pick you up." "Ok, dear."

Miranda air-kissed Gigi, got up, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door, "Thanks for letting me borrow these kick-ass shoes! I'll text you after!" Gigi smiled, "Or during." Miranda giggled, "Or during. Bye!"

She opened the door and headed for the elevator, while texting her driver to meet her at the front doors.

_[My girl never fails to deliver some drama! Check out this tip from another little birdie! Awww! Look at those two cuties! Did M turn B down cause she had other plans? And is B over N enough not to be jealous? And, is M challenging B's throne by trying to get a king, or is she just having fun. As usual, I'll keep you posted. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.]_


	8. Hints at a Secret

_[ Ok, people, chill! There is no point in texting me asking for more deets about M and B's possible catfight! I will let you know when I do. Start placing the bets now. I know who I'm rooting for. Sorry, B. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.]_

Blair flipped her phone shut angrily, trying to control her inner bitch. Penelope, Hazel, and Isabel were sitting in Blair's living room, and had just finished reading the new Gossip Girl post too. They carefully watched their leader for her reaction. Blair turned to them and snapped, "What are you looking at? Finish getting ready, we're leaving in a few." She strode quickly to her bathroom and slammed the door. She leaned against the door and tried to calm herself down so she could plan out the night.

* * *

Dan had just walked in the door to the house when his cell rang. He glanced at the caller id (Unknown number) before answering it. "Uh, hello?" "Hi, Dan, it's Miranda. Oh, right, you probably don't read Gossip Girl anymore… uhm…" "Oh, well, I don't, but I do know who you are. Jenny was talking my ear off after school about you before she ran off to something with Eric… Wait, shouldn't you be calling her instead of me?," he asked, as he set his messenger bag on the kitchen counter and at down on one of the stools.

"Well, I would, but she told me that she was going to hang with Eric, so I was hoping you would – " "Wait, wait, how do you even have my number?" Miranda laughed, which completely freaked Dan out until she said, "If you still kept up with Gossip Girl, you would know that I'm friends with her. Gossip Girl, that is. She still has your number saved from when you were on her forwarding list."

Dan pulled the phone away and stared at it for a second. "Wow, ok. I guess I need to stop tuning Jenny out when she babbles. You mean you're really friends with Gossip Girl? It's not just a group of those evil bitchy Constance girls messing with everyone's heads?" Miranda laughed again, but now that Dan wasn't so wierded out by it, he could hear how pretty it was. "Oh, Dan, you and your cynicism…" He almost started to ask how she knew what he was like, but then his brain caught up with him, and he just smiled a little, waiting for her to continue.

"No, it's one girl, but that's not what I called about… this is gonna sound really weird, but I was wondering if I could invite myself over this evening. I promise I'm not a creeper, I just – " Dan heard the door open and glanced up to see his dad walking in. Rufus saw his son and asked, "Who're you talking to? Vanessa?" Miranda cut herself off mid-sentence when she heard Rufus and she quickly asked, "Is that your dad?" Dan had been about to tell his dad what was going on, although he wasn't even sure himself, but he paused, and looked at the phone again, confused.

Once he recovered, he simply said, "Yea…" Miranda breathed a sigh of relief, "Ok, again, this is gonna sound weird, but tell him Miranda Dunkirk is gonna stop by this evening to talk to you all… He'll understand." Dan was still completely lost, but he decided to trust her.

"Uh, dad, it's Miranda Dunkirk… she says she's gonna come by tonight to talk to us…" Dan trailed off as he noticed Rufus's bulging eyes and gaping mouth. He was about to ask what the heck was going on when Miranda said softly in his ear, "I bet you two need to talk, I'll see you at eight. Bye, Dan."

He heard the phone click as the call ended and he stuck it back in his pocket automatically. He had no idea what to think, but he knew one thing – he hated the secrecy. "Dad, I think you have some explaining to do."

_[Oh, look, there's B going into the Palace with P, H, and I… ho, hum… where's my drama, UES? I guess I'll just have to wait for my girl M to stir some up. I'll be waiting, M. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.]_

**Author's note: I'm kinda proud of how Dan's dialogue really sounds like him. Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming!**


	9. Drama, Drama, Drama!

**Author's note: Just a reminder, I own nothing! Thanks for the reviews, keep them coming? I'll keep the chapters rolling out. **

* * *

_[Oh, look who just showed up in the Palace lobby. None other than N, the golden boy! But wait, it looks like he's not headed for B and the bar. Is he going to visit C at his suite? No, that doesn't make sense, since apparently C is at his usual seat watching the dancers at Victrola. I wonder what N's up to… You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

* * *

Blair had forced the girls to turn their phones off, using the excuse that they wouldn't have any fun if they spent the whole time reading texts. But that didn't mean she had taken herself out of the loop.

She flipped her phone open as Penelope babbled on about her summer fling. Blair didn't really give a crap about the son of an Apple Penelope met on St. Barths, so she was glad she had her phone to distract her – until she read the text. It took all of her carefully cultivated self-control not to yelp out a "Holy crap!"

She and N had been over for a while, but she was still jealous of any girl he was with, if only for having a king when she didn't. Then again, maybe he was here for some other reason.

Just to be sure, she thought she'd hurry to the lobby to catch him. But that would seem like she wasn't over him, when she totally was.

So she just stuck her phone back in her purse and started paying attention to the conversation again.

* * *

Miranda ended her call with Dan and threw her phone onto the bed next to her purse. She grabbed her brush and starting untangling her curls.

She'd just finished when her phone beeped. She quickly grabbed it and the screen read "two new messages."

One was from Gigi – "Good luck, M! Have fun, but not too much fun! Stay classy and you'll have him wrapped around your finger! XOXO."

The other was from Nate. She paused before opening it – how the heck did he get her number? She pressed open – "Hey, GG sent me your #. I'm in the lobby, see ya in a few?"

She smiled and raced to her jewelry box to grab some gold hoop earrings. She heard a knock a few seconds later and she yelled, "It's open, come in!" She heard Nate open up the door tentatively and then walk into the "living room" of her suite. He called out, "Miranda? You ready?"

"One sec, I'm in here, I just have to get my shoes on, you can come in if you want." He heard her voice coming from behind a partially open door. He walked over and looked in; his mind froze as he saw Miranda bending over to fix the ties on her shoes and got a nice view of almost all of her very long legs.

Boys… they're all the same, even the good ones.

She popped back up and he tried to get the glazed look out of his eyes, but he saw her notice. _Crap, now she thinks I'm a perv. _Actually, she'd only thought _Aww, even N the golden boy has hormones! How cute!_

She ignored his sheepish grin, "Ok, I'm ready, let's go get those drinks." He did a cute little "after you" gesture, and she led the way out of her suite.

* * *

Meanwhile, across town…

"Chuck?" He looked up, surprised at the voice and annoyed by the interruption. He didn't even look away from the stage, "Jenny Humphrey, of all the people I know, you are the last one I expected to see here." He was sarcastic and condescending, as usual, but at least he didn't seem angry.

"Yea, I know, I just…," she giggled nervously, "I'm surprised you didn't kick me out immediately." He sipped his drink, and finally took his eyes off the dancers to look at her, "You're my brother's best friend. I wouldn't be that rude."

He settled back into his seat and returned to watching the stage, and muttered under his breath, "Not that you wouldn't deserve it." Jenny heard him and immediately got defensive, "Excuse me? You try to rape me, and I'm the rude one for playing one prank?"

He paused, set his drink down, and turned to her, "Point taken. Can we call it even? I promise I'm a changed man: I don't force myself on girls anymore, no matter how hot they are. My own charms seal the deal often enough."

Jenny pretended to think about it, but she'd already spotted her opening. "Okay, Chuck, I'll forget about all our history, if you'll do one little thing for me." Chuck opened his mouth to say something perverted, and then noticed the excited glint in Jenny's eyes, and a light bulb went on in his head.

"Oh, I know what this is about. You want to know about the fabulous night Eric had here recently." Jenny bit her lip and nodded. Chuck sneered, "Isn't that precious? Well, suffice it to say, Eric is definitely into girls, and he seems pretty sure about guys too."

Chuck stood up and stepped towards Jenny, who automatically stepped back. "You really think you could handle the competition, though? Not only girls, but guys as well?"

Jenny laughed nervously and tried to play innocent, "I don't know what you're talking about. I just wanted to make sure Eric wasn't making a mistake letting Gossip Girl announce it."

Chuck just smirked, "Sure, Jenny, sure. Just, next time, don't try to pump me for information unless you're gonna tell me the truth."

* * *

_[ I asked and my M provided, in her usual all-out fashion. This is drama with a capital D! Here comes M now, heading down from her suite to the bar – with N in tow. Oh, and did I mention she looks killer in her red Eleanor original? Careful, M. I wouldn't want you to get blood on it. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.]_


	10. The Date

**Author's note: Hey, guys! I typed this up tonight, but I might not post the next one for a couple days, because I want to space out the ones I already have written. Then again, this story is practically writing itself, so maybe I won't need to. Reviews would be amazing, although, if I'm honest, it's the Casey/Cappie moment in Greek that reignited my muse. Love ya all.**

* * *

_[Ok, peeps, I'm sorry for my exaggeration last text. We all know these two aren't going to physically fight. I still can't wait to see Blair's face though – send me pics, please! You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

* * *

On the way through the lobby, Nate's phone beeped at him twice in 30 seconds, interrupting him and Miranda's small talk. "Oh, sorry, let me turn my phone on silent or something…" She just shrugged, "It's not a big deal."

She glanced up just in time to see his eyes narrow in confusion at the screen. He flipped it closed somewhat angrily. "What? What is it, is something wrong?" He pursed his lips and paused before he replied, "Did you ask me here just to get at Blair?"

She looked confused for a second, and then nodded in understanding, "Right, Gigi… no, Nate, I didn't. I just…" She struggled for the right words.

"You just seemed like one of the few good guys around here, and I wanted to meet someone new." She smiled, trying to break the serious mood, "Besides, I wanted to give you a chance to explain the whole Blair debacle last year."

He laughed, "I thought you were friends with Gossip Girl, doesn't she know everything?" "Most of the time, but she never got the whole story. Besides, I want to hear it from you, not Gigi."

Nate smiled happily; it'd been a long time since someone had wanted to listen to him. Blair had always just wanted to talk about herself or her big plans, and Chuck didn't deal well with anything involving feelings or emotions. Serena had always had so much drama of her own, and he didn't really have anyone else he wanted to talk about his problems with.

Maybe he shouldn't have, considering who her best friends was, but he felt like he could trust Miranda and that she'd actually care.

"Let's go sit down," he said, and they happily walked into the room.

* * *

_[ Thank you so much glittergirl27 for the perfect pic! Look at her face! Of course, we all know B composed herself the next second, but we can all see how she really feels about M walking in with her ex. It's ok, B, I'm sure you'll find a new guy soon. I'm actually hoping you do – boys always make things more interesting! You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.]_

* * *

Blair did compose her face quickly, so quickly her minions didn't even notice. Of course, it was probably more because they were too busy sighing over the pictures of Penelope's baby nephew on her camera.

Blair had hoped they would completely miss Nate's entrance, but, unfortunately, Kati chose that moment to glance up. Her hands flew to her face, "Omigod, Blair!" Blair shot a withering look at Kati, who instantly shut up.

Blair made a snap decision to act like she didn't – and, really, she didn't care that much. She didn't have feelings for Nate anymore, they just had history, and no girl likes to see her ex with someone new.

"Why are you freaking out? What, do you have a thing for him?" Kati looked confused, "No…" "Then why does it matter that he's on a date with the new girl?"

Penelope was the first to notice the more important thing – "Blair, when did you give her one of your mom's originals? Is she one of us now or something?"

Blair snapped back immediately, "My mother is a world-renowned designer, she doesn't just make originals for me and my friends, Penelope." Penelope bit her lip and looked scared, not wanting to have Blair mad at her.

Blair knew she had to act unfazed if she actually wanted them to drop it, so she feigned interest in the latest picture on Penelope's camera and got the girls cooing over the cute baby grin.

* * *

Across the room, Miranda was giggling as Nate pulled out her chair for her. "You really are such a gentleman for a high school guy."

Nate sat down across from her, "Thanks. I guess my parents did that right at least." Miranda caught the bitterness in his voice, "Oh, yeah, how is that all going right now? I haven't heard anything in a while."

Nate debated whether he should talk about it, but the sincere concern and interest in Miranda's eyes convinced him she honestly wanted to know and wasn't just digging for info for Gossip Girl.

"Honestly? I feel like the only adult in my family. At least I convinced my mom to tell the police where my dad was. She wasn't going to originally. But then when they started freezing our accounts, she saw she had to… but that's just the wrong reason to tell! I mean, my dad needs helps! He needs to fix his mistakes, not just run away from them. He's not acting like an adult by running away, and my mom isn't either, by just living in this dream world…"

Nate trailed off, realizing how much of himself he'd shown to this girl he barely knew. "Sorry. You probably didn't want to know that much."

She shook her head, smiling, "No, it's fine. It sounds like you needed to get that off your chest."

He shook his hair out of his eyes, "Yea, I spent most of this summer by myself, sailing around, running, playing video games…" "Where were all your friends?"

"I dunno. It was just… complicated. I mean…" Nate tried to figure out how to explain, and was encouraged by Miranda's interested stare.

"Well, Blair and me weren't exactly on the best of terms, and, besides, she had plenty issues of her own to deal with. Chuck was more battered than he wanted to admit, so I didn't want to weigh him down more. Besides, he's Chuck Bass. He'd probably just tell me it was normal parent behavior in the UES…"

He trailed off, and Miranda gave him a confused look, "But what about Serena? And weren't you and Vanessa close?"

"Serena…," he gave a frustrated sigh, " I don't know about her. It's hard to be friends with her since…" Miranda nodded, "Yea, that makes sense, and you wouldn't want to worry about lines blurring when she'd just had a bad breakup."

"Yea, and Vanessa would never understand, she'd just say it was the price I had to pay for being born rich." Miranda scowled, "That's so ridiculous. I don't get what her problem is. I agree, we're lucky to have what we do, but why does that make us deserve the bad things that happen to us? That's like saying she deserves to be poor!"

Nate laughed, and Miranda giggle nervously with him, worried she'd offended him, "What? Too much?" "No, no, I was just thinking about how you and Vanessa would end up being best friends, once you stopped hating each other."

"What do you mean?" "Vanessa respects anyone who has strong, logical opinions. Once she saw you thought for yourself and cared about something besides money, clothes, and parties, she'd love you. And, when she likes you, Vanessa can be really fun to be around."

Miranda shrugged, "I don't think it matters, I'll only see her when she's at the Humphreys." "Oh, are you and Jenny friends already?" "Hmmm, kinda…"

Miranda glanced at her watch, "Shoot! Speaking of, I need to head over there, I'm so sorry, I wouldn't bail unless it was super important."

He stood up as she did, "No, it's totally fine, but why do you need to go over there so badly?" She bit her lip, deciding whether she could tell him, glancing over at Blair and her minions. "Oh, I get it, it's a secret and the walls have ears here. It's fine."

He smirked, "I assume I'll be able to read it on Gossip Girl later?" She giggled and nodded. "Ok, then I'll see you at school?" "Sure."

She grabbed her purse from beneath her seat and started walking towards the door, but turned around before she got there, "Uhm, Nate?"

He cocked his head to the side adorably, and she bit her lip and paused before saying, "I hope things work out for you." Before he could say thanks, she had turned around and walked out of the bar to her waiting limo.

* * *

_[ Just a little longer, UES, before I can tell you the biggest news ever! I have no idea how I've been able to keep my mouth shut this long! You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_


	11. Secrets Revealed To Some

**Author's note: The next chapter is my favorite so far! Can't wait! This one reveals the beginning of the big secret though. Enjoy and please review! I'd love to get some suggestions, or just tell me your favorite part so far!**

* * *

_[ Good point, ella12! Where is Serena? Let me search through my tops while I wait for more juicy news! You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

* * *

Serena glanced up from her homework as her phone beeped yet again. The screen said "7 messages from Gossip Girl." She didn't even open the texts, just set the phone down and went back to the history homework she was doing.

Ever since this morning, Serena couldn't get what Miranda had said out of her head. She'd felt so lost all summer, not sure where her life was going. She's spent so much time during the last year trying to be a good best friend to Blair and a good girlfriend to Dan, that with her and Dan's breakup and Blair's summer in France, she'd had no idea what to do.

She'd spent as much time as she could relaxing, but she eventually went crazy with boredom. Her mother had encouraged her to find some kind of internship or take summer classes, but the idea of school work had made her feel physically ill… but the idea of school work had made her feel physically ill.

But the idea of modeling again, without a complicated situation with Blair to get in the way, to sound amazing. But, she knew she'd have to butter up her mom for her to agree to let Serena start trying out for modeling jobs.

So, she was, like a lame freshman with nothing better to do, working on the little homework she'd received and getting ahead in the reading for her history class. Her mom would be home in a few minutes, and she was already nervous for their conversation.

* * *

_[ Sorry, guys, there's no even remotely legit sightings of Serena. Maybe she has something she has to do at home tonight. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

* * *

Jenny had planned on spending most of the evening with Eric, but when her dad had called saying she needed to come home, the worry in his voice had convinced her to do what he said without complaining.

She has just walked into the loft with Eric, laughing, and saw Dan and her dad standing around waiting for her. Her laughter tapered off, "What's going on? Has something happened?"

Dan shrugged angrily, "I don't know, why don't you ask Dad? He wouldn't explain why he knew Miranda Dunkirk until you got here."

Rufus sighed at his son's anger, and Jenny immediately sided with Dan and acidly said, "Well, Dad?"He ran his hands over his eyes and said, "I think you two should sit down."

Dan turned around to grab a stool, while Jenny stepped over to Eric, "I'll text you later, when I know what's going, okay?" He nodded and reached out to squeeze her shoulder comfortingly, "I hope everything's okay."

She let go of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and smiled weakly, "Me too." He smiled encouragingly, "Talk to you later," and walked out of the loft. She stood frozen for a second, silently cursing herself for the tingling where he'd touched her.

Then she turned around and went over to sit next to Dan, "Ok, Dad, what the heck is going on?" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before starting to explain, "I apologize in advance for keeping this from you two. Allison and I fought about it a lot, but I decided it was her decision in the end, and…"

He trailed off and glanced up at Dan and Jenny, and then looked back down at the ground when he saw their stony faces – the Humphrey family didn't keep secrets from each other, and he felt awful for breaking the unspoken rules.

He let out a sigh and continued, "But, since Miranda is coming here, I can only assume this is the reason why, so I think I have to tell you now, even if your mother would rather I didn't../"

He looked back up at them, more confident, "Your mother always told you that her parents died in a car crash, right?" They both nodded – Jenny was a little excited, hoping her guess was right, and Dan was still just confused.

"Well, that's not true. Her parents are still alive, along with her brother."

Dan was still lost, "Wait, mom doesn't have any siblings." Rufus shook his head, "No, she does have a brother. And her maiden name wasn't Hathaway, it was… Dunkirk." Jenny let out a squeal, "No way!"

Dan looked at her, half angry and half confused. "Why are you excited ? Mom and Dad lied to us our whole lives and you're excited that we come from a rich family?," he asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Well, sor-ry, excuse me for looking at the silver lining!" Rufus cut through their bickering, "Well, it doesn't matter anyways, because your mother's family disowned her before I even married her, so don't think she's coming to give us money, Jen."

"No, Dad, there's this post on Gossip Girl…," her voice trailed off as she ran to her room to grab her laptop. Dan stared after her, amazed at her tendency to act like a 3 year old.

He turned back to his dad, "Why did they disown her, Dad? Because of you?" "No. I mean, I wasn't exactly their ideal choice for their daughter, and they weren't thrilled about her plans to live in Brooklyn and be an artist, but…"

"What, they wanted her to go to college?" "Partially. But it was more about her doing something structured with regular pay, even just something like modeling or acting where you weren't sure about whether you'd get a job… but even that only worried and upset them. It was her choice to end contact with them that ultimately made them disown her."

Jenny had just walked back in with her laptop under her arm, "Wait, what!? Mom was the one who chose to have us be poor?"

"Jenny…" Rufus could see a temper tantrum coming, as Jenny slammed her laptop onto the couch angrily. "Jenny, it wasn't like that. She hadn't even thought about kids when this happened, she was just sick of her parents trying to control her life. She saw the money as a sacrifice she was willing to make. Your mother has always been a very independent woman. She refused to let her parents have anything to hold over her head."

Jenny was still sulking, "Then why didn't she apologize when she had Dan so she could let her family live better?" "Because she didn't want her family influencing you kids. From everything she's told me, they're obsessed with money, fame, and power, and don't care about each other very much."

Dan jumped in, "I know it's weird for me to be defending them, but how do you know that isn't just mom's bias talking?"

Rufus shook his head dismissively, "No, I trust you mother." "Like you trusted her not to sleep with someone else?," Jenny said acidly.

Rufus immediately lost his temper at the low blow, "Go to your room right now Jenny!" She shrugged nonchalantly and grabbed her laptop on the way out, "I wanted to get away from you anyways."

She walked calmly to her room, then burst into tears once she shut the door. She couldn't stay there for one more minute. She pulled out her phone and hit the second speed dial.

"Eric? Can I please come over? I need to get out of here."

* * *

_[ Where is M rushing off to? I think we'll all find out pretty soon. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_


	12. The Meltdown

_[ OMG, take a chill pill, UES! I know you guys have been starved for drama all summer, but, seriously, back off! You know I love sharing, as long as it's not Prada, so I'll tell you as soon as I can, or as soon as I know. Don't worry, I'm not angry. I like feeling needed. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

* * *

"Dad, don't you think you were a little hard on Jenny?," Dan asked, as soon as her door was shut. Rufus was still angry, "No. She has no right to be that disrespectful. It just reminds me of that awful version of her when she fell in with that crowd at her school."

"Dad, I didn't like that Jenny either, but she only acted like that because she didn't feel like she was good enough for them. Now she has her design stuff, and she's way too sure of herself to do that again."

Rufus looked at his son in surprise, then smiled, "Since when were you so insightful about girls?"

Dan laughed, "All I'm saying is you need to trust her. She's earned it by now." "I guess…," Rufus trailed off and, two seconds later, there was a knock at the door.

"That's probably Miranda," Rufus said as he walked to the door, "Can you go get Jenny?" Dan nodded, even though Rufus couldn't see him, and got up. Rufus opened the door, and Miranda breezed in past him.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I'm late, I just had plans right before and I completely spaced and…" She trailed off as she remembered she'd never met Dan or Rufus before. "Whoops, sorry, where are my manners? Him, I'm Miranda Dunkirk. Rufus Humphrey, right?"

Rufus shook the surprise from his face and replied, "Yes, uhm, and Dan and Jenny are…" He trailed off as he turned and saw Dan walking back in from Jenny's room – without her.

"Uh, Dad? Jenny's gone."

* * *

_[Well here's a surprising tip – D himself just texted me this pic of little J's open window asking where she is? Well? Anybody have some info for this concerned brother? And this curious gossip? Ooh, I kinda like using my powers for good. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

* * *

Jenny had turned her phone off on the way to Eric's, so she hadn't even seen the Gossip Girl blast, let alone the 5 calls, 3 texts, and 2 voicemails from Dan. As her cab pulled up at the Palace, she wiped her eyes and reached for her purse to pay just as Eric opened the door.

"Jenny! You ok?" She shook her head and kept digging in her purse for her wallet. He grabbed her wrist and she finally looked up at him, tears in her eyes. He whispered worriedly, "C'mon, Jen," and pulled at her wrists, trying to get her to step out.

"I have to pay him," she said, desperate and strained. "Jen," he whispered again and she looked back up." She saw the worry and concern in his eyes and tried to calm down a bit.

She let him pull her out of the cab and hand the cabby his money. She leaned against him and he grabbed her hand, "C'mon, let's get inside," and he led her into the Palace lobby and out from the cold NYC wind.

* * *

_[Thank goodness for people walking the streets at night! Don't worry, D, your sister's upset, but, look, her friend's taking care of her. Aww, those two are too cute! J seems to have a thing for the gay ones… oh, haven't I told you yet? Apparently he's not __just__ her __gay __friend anymore. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl.]_

* * *

Back when Eric had first come out, he had felt awful about kissing Jenny's boyfriend. Asher had told Eric that Jenny understood the situation, but after seeing how she acted with him, Eric realized Asher had lied.

He'd ended it immediately, so he was really hurt when Jenny chose to defend Asher and her reputation instead of backing up her best friend. He couldn't believe how Jenny had been acting then – but after she had given up on that crowd, he'd finally gotten the old Jenny back.

And he'd realized how much he needed her, how much she kept him sane and happy. And how much she needed him, to get her through her rough patches, to keep her grounded, to keep her out of trouble.

During the first few weeks after his coming out and her fall from grace, they had spent most of their time together – partly because Eric was the only person Rufus trusted to be a good influence on Jenny. They'd gotten back to how they were before the whole Asher fiasco – but they'd never talked about it.

It was still too painful for both of them – both of them had had their hearts broken and both of them had been hurt by Gossip Girl blasts in a very public way.

So when, two weeks earlier, Jenny had texted him out of the blue apologizing for acting so conceited and obnoxious, he'd immediately apologized for kissing Asher. They hadn't said much else, but they both had felt better for getting it out there.

All this ancient history raced through Eric's mind as he led Jenny up to the Van der Bass suite. He glanced over at Jenny's sweet face and tried to figure out, for the millionth time, how he felt about her.

He knew he loved her as a friend. That had been it for a long time. But lately…

Lately he had these moments where he wondered what it would be like to kiss her. Not on the cheek, like she did whenever she was excited and rushing off to something.

He'd be listening to her chatter about her classes or something, and he'd watch her lips, wondering what she'd do if he pulled her to him and kissed her. Which was stupid, because they were just friends. Right?

But what did that even mean? He hadn't thought like that for a long time. He'd even seen her change before without getting turned on. So was this just a curiosity thing? Or had his feelings changed?

All he knew for sure was that right now he needed to take care of his Jenny and find out what was wrong.

* * *

_[Don't worry, D, I've got confirmation from E. Little J is safe. But not necessarily from her father's wrath… what caused this epic meltdown? Well, I've gotten clearance now, so I can make this news official: J and D are the long-lost cousins who've just hit the jackpot. So why is little J crying? Maybe cuz her mom's the one who chose to keep them in Brooklyn. You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl. ]_

**

* * *

**

Author's note: So, if you couldn't tell, I'm definitely a Jenny/Eric 'shipper. I was so sad when they said he was gay. Well, the other couples are still up in the air for me, but I'm running with the Jenny/Eric idea. Send me a message if you have any suggestions? Thanks everyone!


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